


Shot through the Heart

by EstelweNadia



Series: WinterHawk 2017 Valentine Prompts [4]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Kisses from Cupid, M/M, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 19:04:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9671924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstelweNadia/pseuds/EstelweNadia
Summary: Prompt: HeartsWhen the targets appeared, Clint and Bucky stared at them, stricken with incredulity."JARVIS," Bucky started, his voice strangled, "What the hell is this?""I apologise, sir," JARVIS didn't sound apologetic at all. In fact the damned AI sounded pleased with himself. "Sir Tony had programmed the targets to be changed to complement the spirit of Valentine's Day."Clint couldn't take it anymore. He burst out laughing. Bucky glared at the archer, pissed now. They came here to escape the Valentine's Day vibes, only to run smack into the middle of it."Love is indeed in the air, Bucky," Clint clapped Bucky's shoulder good-naturedly. His eyes twinkling with mirth, and he was grinning like an idiot. "You can't run away from it."





	

There were four more days to Valentine's Day and Bucky was already so sick of it. 

Roses and hearts and chocolates everywhere. 

Sappy love songs were crooning from every corner of the streets.

Red. Too much red. 

Bucky had enough. 

Thank goodness the Tower remained blissfully Valentine's Day free (Nat didn't do Valentine and the rest of them were guys) but Bucky was thrumming with too much energy and irritation that he marched down towards the range, intending to calm his frayed nerves by obliterating target after target. 

When he got there, Clint was already there. He was restringing his bow and barely looked up when Bucky stormed in.

"Valentine's Day getting to you too?" Clint casually asked, arching an amused eyebrow at him. Bucky snorted. 

"None of your business," Deftly Bucky picked out his favourite weapons and palmed some ammo. Beside him, Clint was filling his quivers with practice arrows. "Advanced Competitive Mode, JARVIS."

"Preparing Advanced Competitive Mode. Please stand by."

"If I win, you're coming with me to a mini golf course!" Clint nudged Bucky playfully with the tip of his arrow. Bucky couldn't help grinning even as he knocked the arrow away. Competing against Clint always filled him with a rush of exhilaration, adrenaline and pride. He always looked forward to every range session with Clint. 

 _Mini golf course? What the hell was that?_ Frowning, Bucky countered, "If I win, you're getting me some flowers." 

"Sure!" Clint smirked. "With the note, ' _I'm sorry for your loss.'_ "

Bucky scowled at him, which only made Clint laugh. 

"Deploying targets."

At JARVIS' announcement, they slipped into their respective mission modes and readied their weapons. 

Bullets versus arrows. 

Archer versus sniper. 

Hawkeye versus the Winter Soldier.

Who would win this time?

When the targets finally appeared, Clint and Bucky stared at them, stricken with incredulity.

"JARVIS," Bucky started, his voice strangled, "What the hell is this?"

"I apologise, sir," JARVIS didn't sound apologetic at all. In fact the damned AI sounded pleased with himself. "Sir Tony had programmed the targets to be changed to complement the spirit of Valentine's Day."

Clint couldn't take it anymore. He burst out laughing. Bucky glared at the archer, pissed now. They came here to escape the Valentine's Day vibes, only to run smack into the middle of it.

"Love is indeed in the air, Bucky," Clint clapped Bucky's shoulder good-naturedly. His eyes twinkling with mirth, and he was grinning like an idiot. "You can't run away from it. I'm sorry."

Before he could retort, JARVIS smoothly intercepted their banter. "Purple hearts represent Hawkeye, and grey hearts represent Winter Soldier. To obtain points you are required to shoot your opponent's hearts. Your points will be forfeited if you shoot your own hearts. Do you require a tutorial?"

"What are we now, Cupids?" Clint snarked. 

"No, you have always been Cupid," Bucky told him. "Me? I have always been James Bond." Aloud, he said to JARVIS. "No, JARVIS. Tutorial not required. Just get on with the real thing."

"Understood. Advanced Competitive Mode will begin in 3."

Bucky turned off the safety of his guns just as Clint nocked multiple arrows to his bow. 

"2."

Bucky shifted his stance and narrowed his eyes, body now coiling with anticipation. Beside him, Clint drew back his bowstring. 

"1."

Bucky and Clint raised their weapons simultaneously. 

"NOW."

Everything else ceased to exist then, except for his mission objective - _The purple hearts are your targets. Take them all out_ \- Bullet after bullet found their marks through the purple hearts, but within the periphery of his vision he saw his grey hearts fluttering to the ground, with arrows stuck through them. Some arrows even had as many as three hearts impaled through their shafts. 

But Bucky refused to be distracted. 

Until...

"SHOT THROUGH THE HEART, AND YOU'RE TO BLAME, DARLING," Clint's sudden singing voice broke through Bucky's sniper headspace, "YOU GIVE LOVE, A BAD NAME!"

"Clint," Bucky warned though gritted teeth. Without breaking stride, he whirled around to shoot several purple hearts creeping from behind his grey ones. 

Clint didn't even falter in his rapid firing of arrows. "What? We're shooting through hearts. You're to blame, darling."

"How is this my fault?" Bucky snapped, ignoring how the word _darling_  sent warmth blooming from within. Those were just some words from a stupid song. He did not have a crush on Clint, okay?

"Because..." Clint shot him a sly sidelong glance, "YOU GIVE LOVE, A BAD NAME! JARVIS, music please!"

"Clint, no!" Bucky barked, "JARVIS -"

It was too late. The song blared into the room, jarring Bucky's ears and despite that he could still hear Clint whooping to the music, guitar riffs and all. 

Sonuvabitch. That bastard!

If this was Clint's ploy to distract him so he could win, it would not work, okay? Bucky had worked in situations with plenty of distractions yet he still carried out his missions well and completed the objectives effortlessly. 

This shouldn't be a problem. 

"OH WHOA, YOU'RE A LOADED GUN, YEAH," Clint hollered, glancing teasingly at Bucky, "THERE'S NOWHERE TO RUN, NO ONE CAN SAVE ME, THE DAMAGE IS DONE!"

"Sixty seconds remaining."

Ignoring Clint and his antics to the best of his ability, Bucky concentrated on taking down as many purple hearts as he could. It still irked him that Clint could still shoot flawlessly even when he was clowning around like that. But then again, he was Clint Barton, Hawkeye, Earth's Greatest Marksman, an Avenger. He wasn't to be underestimated because although Clint appeared careless and carefree, underneath that facade was a stone cold skilled assassin as terrifying as he was. 

"Advanced Competitive Mode completed. Please wait while your scores are being calculated. "

"You're an ass, Clint," Bucky said as they were putting away their weapons. 

Clint merely smirked at him. "Tell me something I don't know, Bucky."

"You know that I am going to win this, right? No? Now you know. So you're getting me that flowers."

"No way," Clint glowered at him. "You are so bringing me out to the mini golf course!"

Bucky's brows furrowed in confusion. "You're asking me out on a date?" 

"Only if I win!"

For a moment Bucky could only stare at Clint, but Clint was serious.

"Calculation of scores completed. The winner of the Advanced Competitive Mode of Tony Stark's Residential Range is... "

**Author's Note:**

> Clint was shamelessly singing "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. Title is taken from the song too. 
> 
> Hey, I've just got an idea. Who would you like to win the Advanced Competitive Mode range session? Clint, for Bucky to bring him to the mini golf course? Or Bucky, for Clint to buy him flowers? Hehe, and why?
> 
> You help me decide which Day 5 prompt to write. 
> 
> Oh, this is going to be fun ~~~!
> 
> I'll be looking forward to your err, votes. XP 
> 
> Thanks!


End file.
